This type of synthesis is the specification of how the phenomenon is thought to be caused and how is it thought to work. It is the model. This was what Aristotle referred to as a formal cause. It is a thing's implicit form or meaning through precise metaphors and models. The laws underlying or describing the action. The model can be reductionistic or correlative. This type of synthesis demonstrates the correctness of a model or theory for something by making correct predictions based on those factors. It is understanding the cause because you make correct predictions. Predicting that the marble will fall through the hole in the pan. This was what Aristotle referred to as final cause. The specification of the end or terminal state of something. An example would be the

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Unformatted text preview: hydrodynamic efficiency in a shark. Evolutionary adaptiveness, functional goals, and equilibrium solutions are various forms of &quot;final causation.&quot; Potential problems with these kinds of conceptualization are discussed under the section on teleological explanations. This type of synthesis demonstrates the correctness of a model or theory for something by showing how that theory can make sense out of numerous phenomena which are otherwise intractable to explanation. Example: It was shown that the explanation for credit card debt, flunking out of school, unwanted pregnancy, and substance abuse; were all understood with the discounting function....
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